Last Updated on October 6, 2022 by Mary Pressler

US Electricity Prices by State: 2022-2021 - Residential and Commercial

Comparing US Electricity Prices by State: 2022 vs 2021

The US Energy Information is constantly gathering the latest energy data, and this includes the cost of electricity per kWh by state. It’s important to note that analyzing all this information takes time, and the latest data published is normally from a few months ago. As of June 2022, the latest kWh prices published by the US EIA are from March 2022, and they are also compared with those from 12 months earlier (March 2021).

The impact of inflation is evident across all states and business sectors, and this includes the electric power industry.

  • Between March 2021 and 2022, the average electricity price for US homeowners increased from 13.30 to 14.47 cents/kWh. 
  • This represents an 8.8% increase in electricity prices, slightly higher than the general inflation rate reported for the same 12-month period: an 8.5% increase in the US Consumer Price Index.

Electricity prices vary by state, and they depend on a combination of many factors. For example, Texas has below-average kWh prices thanks to the abundance of local resources, while states that depend on electricity and gas imports tend to have higher kWh prices.

Residential Electricity Prices in Each US State (2022)

The following table provides the latest state electricity prices per kWh reported by the EIA, from lowest to highest, comparing them with 12 months earlier. Electricity prices are up across the board, but the increase is more drastic in some states.

# State March 2022 Price
(Cents/kWh)
March 2021 Price
(Cents/kWh)
Increase (%)
1 North Dakota 10.03 10.18 -1.47%
2 Idaho 10.07 9.99 +0.80%
3 Washington 10.14 9.96 +1.81%
4 Nebraska 10.36 10.13 +2.27%
5 Utah 10.55 10.06 +4.87%
6 Wyoming 10.69 10.79 -0.93%
7 Montana 10.76 10.93 -1.56%
8 Arkansas 10.90 10.27 +6.13%
9 Oregon 11.01 11.10 -0.81%
10 Missouri 11.04 10.37 +6.46%
11 Louisiana 11.05 10.15 +8.87%
12 Oklahoma 11.21 8.90 +25.96%
13 South Dakota 11.35 11.30 +0.44%
14 Tennessee 11.49 10.73 +7.08%
15 Iowa 11.73 11.30 +3.81%
16 Kentucky 11.98 11.03 +8.61%
17 North Carolina 12.24 11.45 +6.90%
18 Virginia 12.54 11.71 +7.09%
19 Mississippi 12.66 11.52 +9.90%
20 Arizona 12.68 12.18 +4.11%
21 Texas 12.80 11.50 +11.30%
22 Ohio 12.87 12.44 +3.46%
23 Georgia 12.89 11.83 +8.96%
24 Delaware 13.16 12.11 +8.67%
25 Kansas 13.32 12.85 +3.66%
26 West Virginia 13.34 12.49 +6.81%
27 Nevada 13.39 11.96 +11.96%
28 Minnesota 13.40 12.89 +3.96%
29 New Mexico 13.44 12.74 +5.49%
30 Florida 13.50 11.65 +15.88%
31 Colorado 13.61 12.33 +10.38%
32 Alabama 13.71 13.35 +2.70%
33 South Carolina 13.91 13.28 +4.74%
34 District of Columbia 14.04 12.91 +8.75%
35 Maryland 14.16 12.84 +10.28%
36 Indiana 14.29 13.17 +8.50%
US Average 14.47 13.30 +8.80%
37 Pennsylvania 14.70 13.25 +10.94%
38 Illinois 14.73 13.88 +6.12%
39 Wisconsin 15.20 14.35 +5.92%
40 New Jersey 16.93 15.64 +8.25%
41 Michigan 17.43 17.17 +1.51%
42 New York 19.74 18.04 +9.42%
43 Vermont 19.80 18.75 +5.60%
44 Alaska 22.82 22.04 +3.54%
45 New Hampshire 22.97 19.23 +19.45%
46 Maine 23.03 16.42 +40.26%
47 Rhode Island 23.46 23.35 +0.47%
48 Massachusetts 25.33 23.29 +8.76%
49 Connecticut 25.61 22.74 +12.62%
50 California 26.71 22.71 +17.61%
51 Hawaii 39.97 32.96 +21.27%

As you can see in the table above, there are currently eight states with an average electricity price above 20 cents/kWh, and Hawaii is nearly at 40 cents/kWh. Texas is currently at 12.80 cents/kWh, which is 11.5% below the US average.

The following five states experienced the most drastic increase in their electricity prices between March 2021 and March 2022:

  • Maine (+40.26%)
  • Oklahoma (+25.96%)
  • Hawaii (+21.27%)
  • New Hampshire (+19.45%)
  • California (+17.61%)

There were only four states where the average electricity price decreased in the same 12-month period:

  • Montana (-1.56%)
  • North Dakota (-1.47%)
  • Wyoming (-0.93%)
  • Oregon (-0.81%)

Highest and Lowest Residential Rates per kWh 

Currently, electricity prices vary dramatically depending on the state. For example, home electricity prices in California are 166% higher than in North Dakota. Electricity costs depend on a combination of several factors: state regulations, climate, geography, consumption habits, deregulation, local energy resources and the power generation mix all come into play.

In the following table, you can compare the five states with the highest and lowest electricity prices (based on the US EIA data available in June 2022):

Highest Electricity Prices Lowest Electricity Prices
1) Hawaii (39.97 cents/kWh)

2) California (26.71 cents/kWh)

3) Connecticut (25.61 cents/kWh)

4) Massachusetts (25.33 cents/kWh)

5) Rhode Island (23.46 cents/kWh)

1) North Dakota (10.03 cents/kWh)

2) Idaho (10.07 cents/kWh)

3) Washington (10.14 cents/kWh)

4) Nebraska (10.36 cents/kWh)

5) Utah (10.55 cents/kWh)

Commercial Electricity Costs per kWh in Each US State (2022)

In general, commercial energy consumers have access to lower kilowatt-hour prices compared with homeowners. In this case there are also important differences between states, as you can see in the table below:

# State March 2022 Price

(Cents/kWh)

March 2021 Price

(Cents/kWh)

Increase (%)
1 Idaho 7.90 7.76 +1.80%
2 Utah 8.32 8.02 +3.74%
3 Virginia 8.46 7.77 +8.88%
4 Texas 8.51 10.79 -21.13%
5 Nevada 8.56 7.16 +19.55%
6 North Dakota 8.59 8.82 -2.61%
7 Nebraska 8.65 8.68 -0.35%
8 Oklahoma 8.80 6.38 +37.93%
9 Missouri 8.83 8.33 +6.00%
10 Oregon 9.23 9.01 +2.44%
11 Iowa 9.24 8.99 +2.78%
12 North Carolina 9.26 9.18 +0.87%
13 Wyoming 9.37 9.47 -1.06%
14 Arkansas 9.43 9.05 +4.20%
15 Washington 9.55 9.22 +3.58%
16 South Dakota 9.74 9.58 +1.67%
17 Arizona 9.85 9.60 +2.60%
18 Pennsylvania 9.89 8.67 +14.07%
19 Ohio 10.01 9.78 +2.35%
20 West Virginia 10.15 9.60 +5.73%
21 Montana 10.18 10.59 -3.87%
22 New Mexico 10.49 10.14 +3.45%
23 Colorado 10.53 10.02 +5.09%
24 Delaware 10.65 9.57 +11.29%
25 Louisiana 10.77 9.98 +7.92%
26 Illinois 10.92 9.82 +11.20%
27 Florida 10.97 9.35 +17.33%
28 Kansas 11.08 10.48 +5.73%
29 Georgia 11.28 10.21 +10.48%
30 South Carolina 11.28 10.72 +5.22%
31 Kentucky 11.33 10.70 +5.89%
32 Tennessee 11.35 10.68 +6.27%
33 Maryland 11.40 10.05 +13.43%
34 Wisconsin 11.45 10.72 +6.81%
35 Minnesota 11.60 10.12 +14.62%
US Average 11.77 11.17 +5.37%
36 Mississippi 12.18 11.16 +9.14%
37 Michigan 12.20 12.21 -0.08%
38 Indiana 12.46 11.64 +7.04%
39 Alabama 12.57 12.21 +2.95%
40 New Jersey 13.42 12.34 +8.75%
41 District of Columbia 14.95 12.19 +22.64%
42 New York 16.21 15.02 +7.92%
43 Maine 16.69 12.57 +32.78%
44 Connecticut 17.07 17.04 +0.18%
45 Rhode Island 17.15 16.23 +5.67%
46 Vermont 17.43 16.32 +6.80%
47 New Hampshire 18.02 16.06 +12.20%
48 Massachusetts 18.96 16.82 +12.72%
49 California 19.30 17.19 +12.27%
50 Alaska 19.48 19.22 +1.35%
51 Hawaii 37.10 30.76 +20.61%

As you can see, commercial electricity rates are lower than residential prices across the US. The only exception is Washington DC, where the average commercial rate (14.95 cents/kWh) is higher than the residential rate (14.04 cents/kWh) by 6.5%. There are 18 states with average commercial rates below 10 cents/kWh, and all states with the exception of Hawaii have average rates below 20 cents/kWh.

Between March 2021 and March 2022, commercial kWh prices increased the most in the following five states:

  • Oklahoma (+37.93%)
  • Maine (+32.78%)
  • Hawaii (+20.61%)
  • Nevada (+19.55%)
  • Florida (+17.33%)
  • Washington DC also experienced a significant increase (+22.64%)

There were six states where commercial kWh prices decreased during the same 12 months:

  • Texas (-21.13%)
  • Montana (-3.87%)
  • North Dakota (-2.61%)
  • Wyoming (-1.06%)
  • Nebraska (-0.35%)
  • Michigan (-0.08%)

California and Idaho have the highest and lowest commercial kWh prices among the 48 contiguous states, with a 144.3% difference. The following table compares the five states with highest and lowest commercial rates overall:

Highest Electricity Prices Lowest Electricity Prices
1) Hawaii (37.10 cents/kWh)

2) Alaska (19.48 cents/kWh)

3) California (19.30 cents/kWh)

4) Massachusetts (18.96 cents/kWh)

5) New Hampshire (18.02 cents/kWh)

1) Idaho (7.90 cents/kWh)

2) Utah (8.32 cents/kWh)

3) Virginia (8.46 cents/kWh)

4) Texas (8.51 cents/kWh)

5) Nevada (8.56 cents/kWh)

Electric Rates Can Differ Between Cities Within One State

Keep in mind these are average kWh prices, which means you can find electricity plans with higher or lower rates. Also consider that electricity prices not only vary across states, but also within the same state because of transmission and delivery costs. For example, if you compare electricity plans from the same providers in Dallas-Fort Worth (Oncor service territory) and Houston (CenterPoint service territory), you will notice slight differences.

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